LITMIR.BIZ

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us something. Come on.” He unlocked the door with the key she’d given him earlier.

      She hovered on the doorsill a few seconds. Then, as if making up her mind, she stepped in, brushing by him. “Danovan, why don’t you get your things from your car? By the time you’re done, I’ll have food ready.”

      Good as her word, once he’d brought in the last armload of books, Indigo had soup and sandwiches on the small table.

      “Looks great. Thank you.” He held out a chair for her then sat opposite.

      “It’s just grilled cheese, and soup from a can.”

      “Sounds good to me.” He took a bite of the sandwich. The bread was tangy and crunchy, the cheese rich and hot. “Hmm. This doesn’t taste like any grilled cheese I’ve ever had.”

      “It’s rye, with sharp cheddar and Swiss cheese. I used to make it all the time for...” Her lips twisted in a spasm. Then it was gone. “I used to make it all the time.”

      “Well, it’s damned good.”

      “Thanks.” She sipped a spoonful of soup. “I called the unemployment office today, and I’ll have a couple of warehouse workers interviewing tomorrow. I’m hoping one man can handle both stock and shipping. We can’t afford specialists at the moment.”

      “Good thinking.”

      “How are we doing from your viewpoint?”

      He took a bite to avoid answering. He didn’t want to ruin her dinner. Besides, he didn’t have the whole picture yet. He swallowed.

      He saw that look of hopeful watching.

       She’s your boss. You owe her the facts.

      But that look made him hold back.

      He couldn’t help it. He loved women. Not necessarily in a lustful way, though there would be many who would dispute that. He just appreciated the gender. From toddlers to little old ladies, he was endlessly fascinated by the way their minds worked, so differently from his. He loved their organizational and multitasking abilities. He loved their delicate bones and envied their mental strength. He loved their softness, their chattiness, their smell.

      He loved their smell.

      “Well?”

      “Do you mind if we discuss that tomorrow after I’ve reviewed the financials? I’d like to have the complete picture before I make suggestions for expenditures.”

      Her brows pulled together, a sure sign of the worry he was trying to save her from.

      He shifted in the chair.

      “Okay. But first thing tomorrow, right?”

      With his finger, he traced an X over his heart. “If you’d like, I can make out a list of things to be done.” He knew that would appeal to her bookkeeper soul. “I’ll prioritize it.”

      She picked up her spoon. “Good.”

      They ate in silence for a minute.

      “Why wine?”

      He looked up. “You mean, as a career?”

      She nodded. “Is your family in the industry?” Her tone was casual, but she didn’t fool him.

      She’s digging. She doesn’t trust you.

      “Hardly.” He wiped his lips with the napkin. “My father is a federal appeals-court judge, and my mother is the headmistress of a girls’ prep school in Georgetown. My brother is a Wall Street trader, and my sister is a partner in a big CPA firm in Seattle.”

      “Wow.”

      “Yeah, no pressure being the youngest swimming in that gene pool.” Seeing she was done, he lifted both their plates.

      She started to rise.

      “I’ll get the dishes and cleanup. It’s my apartment now, after all.” He carried the dishes to the sink. “I didn’t like school much as a kid. Didn’t get why I had to know about ancient Greece and quadratic equations.” He located the dish soap under the sink. “But I always loved growing things. My mom says I drove the gardeners nuts, digging up the daffodils as a toddler.” He ran the water until it was hot, then plugged the sink, squirted in some detergent. “The wine bug hit in high school. My parents appreciated a nice red and it turned out I was lucky to be born with a sensitive palate.” He started with their dinner plates. “I was subscribed to Wine Enthusiast by tenth grade and couldn’t wait until I could legally attend wine tastings.”

      “I’ll dry.” Indigo walked up, a kitchen towel in her hand. “I’ve heard high school drinking stories, but they didn’t sound like that.”

      He rinsed a plate and handed it to her. “You ‘heard.’ Does that mean you didn’t drink in high school?”

      “I mean I didn’t attend high school. I grew up on a commune in northern California. I was homeschooled. Nothing but natural, healthy living.”

      He started on the soup pot. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. You have a natural look about you. Sounds like an idyllic childhood.”

      “It was.” Her smile was happy and sad all at the same time. “But, trust me, I made up for it later.”

      “In Hollywood?” He wondered what was behind that bittersweet smile, but it winked out.

      “Oh, I almost forgot the financials.” Her words came out snipped off at the ends. She wiped her hands on the towel and dropped it on the counter. “I’ll go get them.”

      Then she was gone, the door swinging shut behind her.

      Well, there’s a no-fly zone if I ever saw one. He finished the dishes and rummaged in the cabinets until he found where they all belonged.

      She rapped on the door, pushed it open, but didn’t step in. She reached across the small space to hand him a slim file folder. “Here you go. I’ve got to get back to the cabin and feed Barney. I’ll see you in the morning.” She turned away.

      “Hang on. It’s pitch black out there. I’ll walk you home.” He reached for his jacket.

      “No, I’ve got it covered.” She waved a flashlight.

      “It’s no bother. I don’t feel good about—”

      “Look.” She put a hand on her hip. “I’m not helpless, or incompetent. I’m capable of walking a hundred yards in the dark by myself.”

      He raised his hands. “Yes, ma’am.”

      She turned and marched down the hall.

      He closed the door. Better this way. He didn’t need to know what shaped the soft and hard edges of Indigo Blue in order to work for her.

      But he wondered, just the same.

       CHAPTER FIVE

      “UNHHH.” INDIGOCOLLAPSED in a heap on her yoga mat, paying for neglecting her morning routine. The Firefly Pose, one of her favorites, was now beyond her.

      Barney just watched, head on his thick paws.

      She untangled her arms and legs to lay with her head on her hands, two inches from his nose. “That’s it, Barn. Starting today, we’re back on our workouts.”

      He licked her face.

      She swiped her cheek then sat up. “Yeah, I know you like them.” Why shouldn’t he? She’d logged a ton of miles jogging the Hollywood hills, hauling him behind her in a wagon. “Lucky for you, I found a wheelbarrow in the junk from what will be my yoga room. I actually think it’ll work better than our wagon. We’ll try it out tomorrow.” She pushed herself to her feet. “We’ll get weird looks, but we’re used to that, right?”

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